Clutching a rectangular plastic pouch, Erica Fontenot giddily chatted with a stranger about her dream wedding while she waited in line at Alcon Liquor Jr. Market in Canoga Park. She looked down at her pouch to count some orange number sheets and dollar bills, revealing the sky-blue side of the pouch decorated with a bold white logo: CA Lottery.

Fontenot was one of millions of dreamers throughout the country who caught Lottery Fever as the multistate Powerball offered a $600 million jackpot, the second-richest in U.S. history.

"I have financial issues that haven't allowed me and my fiance to afford the wedding we want, but if I win this - oh, it's going to be fabulous," Fontenot said.

The Chatsworth resident added she would also donate 10 percent of her winnings to breast cancer research in honor of her mother, a breast cancer survivor, and she'd help out some friends and buy a new house.

"It's all about the dream and what you can possibly gain from just a $2 investment," said California Lottery spokeswoman Donna Cordova. "There are so many challenges that people are dealing with every day, then we have a jackpot like this and everybody just stops and the whole conversation changes. People stop talking about their problems and start talking about their dreams."

The highest-ever U.S. lottery jackpot was offered last year in the Mega Millions game, when winners in Illinois, Kansas and Maryland split up the $656 million prize.

If no one hits today's Powerball, the next drawing on Wednesday could top $900 million to become the highest-ever, according to some estimates from officials in other states.

"We're in uncharted waters here," she said, "so it wouldn't surprise me if it got that big."

But for Rob McCormick of Pasadena who was buying what he hoped was the lucky ticket at Mission Wine and Spirits in Pasadena, any jackpot would be a dream come true, record or not.

"For me, I'd be happy with $100,000," he said. "When you're talking millions of dollars, I don't even know what I'd do with it."

Those who sell the tickets are also hoping for a win by their customers. If anyone hits this Powerball jackpot, the retailer who sold the winning ticket gets $1 million, the largest bonus a retailer can receive, officials said.

The lottery maintains a list online of "lucky" retailers - those that have sold more than a single winning ticket worth $1 million or more. Among them are Alcon Liquor and the 7-Eleven at 6625 Lankershim Blvd. in North Hollywood.

Harry Singh, a manager at that 7-Eleven, said Friday's big rush started as early as 6 a.m. A consistent line of about a dozen people long with lottery picks in hand flowed through the store until just after 10 a.m. By lunchtime, Singh was bracing for the next wave that usually hits when people get off work around 5 p.m.

He understands lottery fever - he's caught it himself.

"Oh yes, of course I buy Lotto," Singh said, adding that if he won he'd travel around the world. "Why not take the chance? You've got nothing to lose but a couple of bucks."

Singh said last year when the Mega Millions jackpot hit a high, "all we did was sell Lotto" with one employee manning the lottery machine the whole day.

Singh said he definitely sees his regulars, the ones who buy a lottery ticket once a week or so. But on days like this where a record-breaking jackpot is on the line, he'll see those regulars and more come in two to three times a day.

One of the luckiest retailers is Bluebird Liquor in Hawthorne, a local legend of sorts in the lottery field.

The walls and ceiling at Bluebird are lined with fliers from winning tickets sold there. In the past month alone, two winning tickets sold there paid out $99,111 and $133,705, said Bluebird clerk Eduardo Duran. In the past 20 years, Bluebird Liquor has sold six winning lottery tickets that have paid in excess of $1 million, he added.

It was no wonder the line Friday at Bluebird snaked through parking lots and along Hawthorne Boulevard.

"The line is only going to get longer," Duran said. "From here to tomorrow it's going to get crazier."

"I always heard about this liquor store selling winning tickets, and I was in the area, so I stopped by," said Laura Altman of Santa Monica. "You never know."

Office pools were also going full strength this week, helping to add to the long lines as some buyers plunked down piles of cash for a group buy.

Susan McColly of Agoura Hills laid down cash on the counter at Alcon Liquor Market like she was going all-in at the poker table.

"Give me 175 Quick Picks," she told the clerk.

Then she laughed and joked with the line of people behind her that she may break the machine with her request.

McColly was picking up Powerball tickets for her company Lotto pool -- $10 each for 35 employees.

"When I saw that jackpot, I wouldn't take no for an answer," she said.

Chatting it up with those in line as she awaited her pile of tickets, McColly said all she'd really like to do is help others.

"I wish I could win it all so I could help everyone in the world," she said.

Other jackpot-winning hopefuls shared the same dream, vowing to help as many people as they could.

"I'm going to help some people. I mean, a lot of people," said Abe Zeke of Culver City.

The limo driver said he buys a lottery ticket every month, just $2 at a time. But on Friday, he decided to throw in a few more dollars at his local lucky retailer across the street from work, the 7-Eleven at 11299 Washington Blvd., Culver City. He filled in the bubbles with the birth dates of his daughter and wife.

"It's a lot of money for one person," Zeke said. "I don't need it all."

Staff Writers Brian Charles, James Figueroa and Beau Yarbrough contributed to this story.